Computer system users often collaborate on projects by exchanging information, e.g., over a network, such as the Internet, or using non-electronic delivery methods to exchange computer-based information. Such information often includes copies of digital information or computer image data. Such data can be saved on a user's computer and/or provided to another person, e.g., another computer user. Exchange of information can also be between different users of the same computer terminal. For example, a first user of the terminal can create or otherwise obtain data displayed on a user interface of the terminal, and second user can view such data that has been output on the user interface. Alternatively, the first user can send the data to the second user, who can then view the data by logging into the second user's account, e.g., e-mail account, to which the data has been sent.
Data a user might want to exchange with another user often is ensconced within sensitive information that is not to be exchanged. The user sharing the data therefore must strip the sensitive information prior to sharing the data.
Often exchange of data occurs between users who speak different languages. A first user speaking a first language might want to exchange data in the first language with a second user who speaks a second language, which is an inefficient way to provide the information to the second user.
Additionally, a first user might want to present a modified version of data to a second user as a prototype for an output of a program, e.g., in a collaboration for creating a computer program, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,007, issued Dec. 27, 2011, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Data of a computing device to be saved and/or shared often includes data of a graphical type, for example, graphical user interface data of a screen. Such data can be saved and transmitted as a screenshot. For example, MICROSOFT WINDOWS® provides a print screen key, in response to selection of which, for example, if selected by itself, a bitmap image of the entire screen is captured and copied to a storage area, e.g., the clipboard, and, if selected in combination with selection of the Alt key, a bitmap image of the portion of the active window of the screen that is visible in the screen is captured and copied to the storage area, e.g., the clipboard. Such bitmap data can be obtained from storage for viewing at a later time and/or transmitted or otherwise provided to other users. For example, during a teleconference, a user might want to explain a concept by using that which is on the user's screen as a visual aid. The user can use the screen copy functionality to obtain a copy of the screen, and e-mail the screen copy to the other user for discussion during the teleconference.